Government Code & Cypher School (and a hidden message)

During World War I the British Army and Royal Navy both had separate intelligence agencies. Military Intelligence 1b, MI1(b) and Naval Intelligence Department 25, NID25, respectively. NID25 was initially known as Room 40, or 40 O.B., with O.B. referring to 'old building'. 

Following the conclusion of World War I the Cabinet's Secret Service Committee recommended that a peacetime codebreaking agency should be created. Lord Curzon, chairman of the Cabinet's Secret Service Committee, tasked Hugh Sinclair, Director of Naval Intelligence, with creating the new department.

Hugh Sinclair merged staff from NID25 with MI1(b), with the new agency consisting of between 25-30 officers, with roughly the same amount of clerical staff. Victor Forbes, of the Foreign Office, chose the cover-name 'Government Code & Cypher School (GC&CS).

The Government Code & Cypher School moved into Watergate House, Adelphi, with the Admiralty's Alastair Denniston, previously an NID25 officer, as its operational head. 

Its public directive was "to advise as to the security of codes and cyphers used by all Government departments and to assist in their provision". However, it also had a secret directive: "study the methods of cypher communications used by foreign powers".

Although officially formed on November 1, 1919, the Government Code & Cypher School produced its first decryption on October 19, 1919.

In 1921 the offices moved to the Broadway Buildings, opposite St James's Park, in the same building as the SIS, and came under the supervision of Hugh Sinclair. At the time Hugh Sinclair was Chief of SIS and Director of GC&CS.

On February 14, 2019, HM Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a City of Westminster plaque to mark the centenary of GCHQ.

However, keeping with the codebreaking, communications and cypher work of GCHQ, the plaque contains a hidden message, which most people don't even realise. 

Can you uncover the hidden message?

If you can't figure it out, there is a clue below. 

Various characters, on the plaque, have a dot or dash beneath them. 

If you find them all it reveals the message... 

Highlight the space between the quotation marks, below, to uncover the answer.

"1 HUNDRED YEARS"

So, did you work it out, or did you cheat?

Household Cavalry Museum

Keilyn ready for sentry duty.

Saturday October 7, 2023.

Once again Keilyn wanted to go for another walk, back in London. 

Knowing of her love for all things military, (she wants to join the Army Cadets when she is 12), I booked us some tickets for the Household Cavalry Museum, which is a place that neither of us had visited.

A few issues with planned closures, on our normal train route, saw us take the London Overground to South Hampstead from where we walked to Swiss Cottage and continued, via the Jubilee line, to Green Park. From there we took a leisurely stroll along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade. 

I could see on her face that she wasn't impressed, as this was a place that we had visited many times. When I told her where we going her face lit up.

The entrance to the Household Cavalry Museum.

After showing our tickets we began our exploratory of the museum, which we found we had pretty much to ourselves.

The uniform of The Blues and Royals.

With its glass cases housing uniforms, weaponry, medals, historical artefacts, maps and much more, we were both fascinated. 

The uniform of a Life Guard.

After seeing the first few display cases, which were predominantly filled with uniforms, we made our way through to the stables. The wall to our right was tinted glass, as beyond were the stables where horses and guards where busy going about their preparations. To our left were stalls with various interactive screens, colouring and information sheets. There were also uniforms from various regiments, along with gloves, helmets, cuirass and more. Keilyn and I couldn't wait to try some on.

Keilyn in camouflage fatigues.

Sergeant Morrissey ready for duty.

From here we made our way though to the next part of the museum, which ran through the more than 350 year history of the Household Cavalry. From its humble beginnings to its current place in the British Army. Many of their exploits, achievements and characters adorned the walls, cabinets and interactive displays.

A Napoleonic soldier.

King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery

A QF 13-pounder being fired in Green Park.

Anyone that has visited London while it is celebrating a Royal birthday, wedding, celebration or state visit, will no doubt have seen, if not heard, cannon being fired from one of the Royal Parks, HM Palace and Fortress at the Tower of London or another special site.

The gun salute is a ceremonial duty performed by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, who were created to perform this role, among other things, by King George VI.

The King's Troop on Constitution Hill waiting to enter Green Park.

One of the most accessible places to view the gun salute is in Green Park, which allows you to see the Troop on Constitution Hill and then follow them charging in to Green Park and setting up.

Preparing to fire the first shot of the gun salute.

If you ever get the chance to witness a gun salute... take it.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Of the roughly fifteen military barracks, within London, the guards of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment are, quite possibly, the most easily recognised. 

King's Life Guard.

Known as the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals these are the monarch's bodyguard and can be seen, daily, at Horse Guards Parade, which is the ceremonial entrance to Buckingham Palace.

Blues and Royals.

Most notably they perform ceremonial duties throughout the year, such as the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour, Garter Ceremony at Windsor Castle, State visits, etc..